Melamine- tainted milk powder
News Commentary Worksheets
Teacher’s manual
A. Aims:
Through this scheme, students can:
1. organize news content systematically;
2. apply related economic concepts to
observation;
3. go further for inquiry.
news
issue
and
daily
B. Learning Process:
This scheme consists of three phases. Teachers can choose any
THREE pieces of news commentary worksheets. Each set of news
commentary worksheet involves different learning strategies. After
finishing each phase, teachers should:
1. assess students’ work;
2. evaluate students’ performance;
3. give feedback: discuss/analyze students’ work, point out how
students can improve;
4.
modulate the worksheets according to students’ progress.
C. Use of worksheet:
Designed worksheet is only for reference, teachers can modulate the
content of the worksheets according to students’ progress. Besides,
teachers should emphasize more on the “issue inquiry” part and
make sure students have enough time to finish this part.
D. Citation and References
Teachers should emphasize the importance of citation. Students are
required to cite the reference at the end of each piece of news
commentary. For the format of citation, please refer to each set of
news.
1
E. News Summary
News
： < Melamine- tainted milk powder> & Worksheet
Related
：Demand and Supply (The concepts of Opportunity Cost/
concept
Occupational Mobility can also be applied in issue inquiry.)
No. of lesson ：Two consecutive lessons
required
Target
students
Remarks
：Students who have acquired some basic ideas (e.g. data
analysis/applied economic concepts) on news commentary.
： This piece of news commentary includes many economic concepts,
students are required to distinguish and arrange them. Moreover,
students can acquire the skills of inquiry through “mini case
analysis” and extended questions from different economics agents.
Before the lesson:
Students are strongly recommended to study the news beforehand.
When they are reading the news article, they can highlight some crucial
words that are related to economics or they have come across in
economics (e.g. queue/limited supply etc.). This helps students to
prepare for the economic analysis.
2
During the lesson:
Use of worksheet
Part
A. Comprehension
Q. no.
--
Reminder/Aims

Students can use the “6Ws” thinking
skills to summarize the news.
B.
Economic
(1-3)

Analysis
Worksheets
provide
many economic
concepts.
Students need to identify
which
them
of
are
relevant
(e.g.
Shortage V.S. Surplus)

Students can share their ideas in group
discussion and present their work in
class.

Teachers share the correct answers with
students.

Students are encouraged to draw a
demand-supply diagram to illustrate
their ideas.

Students are strongly recommended to
prepare a flow chart, which links up all
those related concepts.

Students are invited to share their flow
charts with the rest of the class.
Students can appreciate the works of
their classmates.
C. Issue Inquiry
(4)

Analysis
from
different
economic
agents (firms)

Apart
from
being
a
customer,
students are encouraged to analyze
the case from different perspectives.
Thus, students can analyze the
issue more thoroughly.
(5)

Mini-case Analysis

Through profile analysis, students
can
analyze
the
reasons
economic prospective.
3
from
After the lesson：


Students need to prepare a 400-word news commentary with
reference to the worksheets. (The number of words required is
subject to the ability of the students.)
Teachers can assess students’ work and give feedbacks to facilitate
students’ improvement.
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